


McDonald's date

by fruectose



Series: tumblr prompts [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24333157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruectose/pseuds/fruectose
Summary: written for prompt: 'soft summer rain'Percy and Annabeth go on a run.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: tumblr prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756708
Comments: 2
Kudos: 84





	McDonald's date

In retrospect, there was nobody to blame but themselves that Annabeth and Percy got caught in the rain. After all, was it not Annabeth’s own brain that saw the dark clouds looming over them and then made the conscious decision to go on an evening run along the beach anyway? And was it not Percy who not only wholeheartedly endorsed this idea, but also tried to compete with the weather by adding that they could ‘totally beat the rain- any time, any day’?

Annabeth slowed to a stop when it became apparent that the light-drizzle-turned-moderate -shower wasn’t about to go away any time soon. She waited for her boyfriend, who was a few meters behind her to catch up and looked around the beach. There was absolutely nothing close enough to seek shelter, just a long stretch of sand. Percy came up beside her.

“So… maybe that was a stupid idea.” He panted. Like her, he was completely soaked with both, the pouring rain and sweat.

“What happened to ‘Montauk is great this time of the year’?” Annabeth asked.

“Are you blaming me for the weather?” A small smile played on the side of his lips.

“Don’t smile at me I’m in a bad mood!” She protested. Percy laughed and threw one wet arm around her shoulders, pulling her flush against his bare chest. He kissed her temple and nuzzled her with his outrageously sharp nose. Annabeth tried to wriggle free but his hold on her was stronger.

“You’re wet!” She complained. “Get off me.”

“You’re plenty wet yourself.” Percy told her, letting go of her. She snuggled right back into him and he let her without gloating. She snuck her arm around his waist and savored the warmth of his body. “Come on, we’ll just walk up to town and grab dinner.” Percy said.

Annabeth let him lead the way. After all, he knew Montauk better than she did.

“Nobody’s going to let us in.” She told him.

“Why not?”

“For starters, we’re dressed super inappropriately.” Annabeth pointed out. Percy looked down at himself, as if just realizing that he only had on a pair of shorts and his trainers. Then he looked at Annabeth, who beat him in a modesty contest by exactly one sports bra. He frowned.

“I’m sure nobody will even notice.” He said.

“You’re right. They’ll be distracted by the fact that we look like we’ve just come out of a wet t-shirt contest for strippers.”

“Maybe they’ll appreciate it. Come on, I’m sure the closest McDonald’s won’t have any qualms about letting us in.” He said.

He wasn’t wrong. Nobody in the dingy McDonald’s so much as batted an eye when the two of them spilled in, barely clothed and dripping wet.

“What can I do for you guys?” The girl behind the counter asked without looking up from her phone.

Annabeth hadn’t had the time to check her own reflection, but she could see Percy and got a pretty good idea of what she might look like. His dark hair somehow both sticking to his forehead and also sticking up at the back from the wind and his face was dripping. She watched a single drop of water trail along his brow, around his cheekbone and then down his chin until it splattered on the floor. He ordered them some fries, chicken nuggets, sodas and burgers and anything else he’d missed on the menu.

He looked over at her and raised a brow, and she realized he’d said something to her.

“Huh?” She asked.

“Anything else for you?”

“Oh. No.” Annabeth said. “Thanks. We should leave some food for the next person to come in.”

Percy picked a table by the window and Annabeth plopped down unceremoniously. She eyed the mountain of food her boyfriend had bought them wearily.

“Nobody’s going to believe we were actually on a run.” She said. Percy shrugged.

“They’ll see these babies and change their mind.” He said, gesturing to the muscles on his stomach with a grin.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and chewed on a fry. Raindrops slapped against the window to her side and she peered out. Across the street, she could see a nice restaurant with soft yellow lighting and, she imagined, mellow music. If she squinted hard enough, she could see couples laughing over plates of… okay. She was making the whole thing up. She couldn’t see much more than the blurry lights through the downpour, but she could imagine what a nice, warm place like that might feel like.

“That’s Forcelli’s.” Percy told her, following her gaze. “We could’ve gone there, but they would never accept this.” He said, gesturing to the two of them. “Best lasagna in the world.”

Annabeth smiled a little as Percy took one massive bite of his burger. “Some romantic summer getaway this is shaping up to be.” She said. Percy grinned.

“You too good for Mickey D’s, Chase?” He asked. Annabeth laughed.

“No, you’re just too cheap for Forcelli’s.” She told him. Percy flicked a fry at her head.

“Fine then.” He said. “Leave me for someone who’ll put up with you all day _and_ take you to Forcelli’s. Just don’t come crawling back when you can’t find this mythical man.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes and took a sip of her soda. “Careful what you wish for. Maybe one day the gods of breakups will smile on you. And then what?”

Percy had a small smile on his lips. “I think I like my chances.”

By the time they’d worked their way through dinner, Annabeth had put on about a million pounds and the rain had mellowed out into a soft drizzle outside the window. Percy patted his little bloated belly.

“Think we can make it home before it gets bad again?” He asked her with a wicked grin.

“Haven’t you learned not to challenge the weather, Jackson?” Annabeth asked, getting to her feet and stretching her arms over her head. As Percy’s girlfriend and Stupid-in-Command, it was her job to never, _ever_ back down from a terrible idea. “Come on, we’re going to need as much of a head start as we can get.”

They stepped out, almost too full to even walk all the way back to Sally’s cabin by the beach. Running was no longer in question. Annabeth almost suggested they get an Uber, but the rain was warm and soft against her skin and there was a light breeze blowing in her hair and she decided that maybe a slow walk home might be worth it. Maybe it would even help with her nausea.

Percy threaded his fingers through hers and led her back down to the edge of the beach. The ocean was calm and little waves broke by her ankles. Just being near the water put Annabeth at ease. The backwash danced around her feet, completely soaking her socks and shoes, but it was soothing. Even the summer sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds, lighting up the gray night with a soft golden glow.

She watched it fall over Percy’s face, turning his jet-black hair a dark brown and making his skin glow. While he re-told the same story he’d told her a million times about how he’d once kicked Clarisse’s butt in hand-to-hand combat, Annabeth couldn’t help but stare at her boyfriend.

Every time she looked at Percy, she felt like she was seeing him for the first time. They’d been together for eight years, and she’d known him for twelve, and she still found herself marveling at the way his green eyes looked almost orange in the sunset. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the feeling of her hand in his, or the way he couldn’t get through a funny story without laughing. There was something about the way his Adam’s apple bobbed and how even at his cleanest shaven he had a slight stubble that made Annabeth’s heart ache. It was stupid, because he was right next to her, but she just couldn’t help but miss him.

“Have you zoned out?” Percy asked. “You’re missing the funniest part, because-”

“You judo-flipped her.” Annabeth told him. “No, I was listening.” She lied. Percy seemed satisfied and laughed at the memory. He leaned his head back and she watched tiny, delicate drops of water settle lightly on his face and reflect off the sunset.

“There must be a rainbow somewhere.” Annabeth realized. She looked up at the sky, and, sure enough, just over their heads was-

“It’s a double rainbow.” Percy pointed out, following her gaze.

It wasn’t a sign from the universe.

On a logical level, Annabeth understood that. The world was _not_ coming together to tell her that she and Percy could weather any storm. There was _no_ promise that the sun would shine over them and fill their lives with warmth and light. The universe was definitely _not_ trying to remind her that, like a rainbow, it was beautiful how she was able to find Percy in the billions of people in the world- and, even less- that, like a double rainbow, them building a relationship so full of love and happiness was magical and rare. Her throat closed up with emotion.

“I love you. So much.” She said, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself to him. Percy looked a little surprised and almost lost balance, sending them both tumbling into the sand, but he steadied himself in the nick of time. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Oof- I love you too. You okay?” He asked her softly, and she nodded, feeling her eyes well up with tears. God, it just wasn’t fair how strongly she felt about the man in front of her.

“I do.” She said again. “I love you so more than I could ever put into words. And I need you to know that.”

Percy studied her a little suspiciously for a moment. Then he pulled her impossibly close to him until there wasn’t enough space for a single drop of rain between them. When he kissed her, her brain melted and her heart soared. She held him close to her because she missed him- more and more in every moment she wasn’t actively loving him and his grip on her tightened like he might have felt the exact same way.

By the time she finally let him pull away, he was slightly out of breath. He cupped her face with both his hands.

“I love you too.” He said simply. It meant the world and more to Annabeth. “And I’m totally going to beat you on the way home.”

He took off running and Annabeth paused for one second to think. Was it nice to love someone so much and still leave him in the dust? Furthermore, was running after a meal that heavy a good idea?

Then she noticed Percy already at least a hundred meters ahead of her- how had he done that so fast? - and all rational thought flew out of her mind. As if she needed to be coaxed into a competition, no matter how stupid. She sprinted behind him.

“That’s so unfair, I wasn’t ready!”

They might have regretted it later on, but for now, it didn’t matter. Under the rainbows, nothing bad could happen to them. Under the rainbows, they were invincible.

**Author's Note:**

> u know the drill babes, if u want me to do smth specific, ask me at @perceabeth on tumblr!  
> also hahahahhahah I accidentally posted some of the drafts I had and if you caught that I'm so sorry


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